Volkswagen Up

Volkswagen India has been in the country for a long time now and has successfully set up its base in nearly, all the segments of the Indian auto industry. Now however, the German automaker is eyeing to foray into the lucrative entry-level hatchback segment that is currently being ruled by the likes of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, the Hyundai i10, Honda Brio and the newly launched Datsun Go hatchback. And for this job, Volkswagen is betting high and hard on its hugely popular Up! hatchback that has taken the international market by storm ever since its debut in Europe and the U.S.
Nothing is official yet. But our sources close to the company suggest that Volkswagen India in indeed, planning to bring its Up! hatch into the Indian market by the end of 2014 or early 2015. Further cementing the automaker’s intention, is the the fact that the test mules of the Up! have been caught doing test rounds in and around Pune and other parts of Maharashtra more than a couple of times throughout 2013. What is taking a little longer than expected, is the fact that Volkswagen in trying to localise the production of the hatchback as much as possible, so as to be able to price it competitively in the Indian market.

Volkswagen Up Engine Specifications

The Volkswagen Up! hatchback that is sold in Europe is the three door model. What will head to India however, is the five door version with increased wheelbase and improved cabin space to suit the needs and demand of a typical Indian family. Under the hood, expect to see a 1.0-litre petrol engine that is able to produce close to 75PS of max power. A small diesel engine could also be used to power the Up! hatchback in the diesel frenzied Indian market. The details of the diesel powerplant however, is sketchy at the moment. The Up!’s small engine does not require a large cooling intake and therefore, the car has ditched the grille and instead, opted for a plain vanilla black band that runs between the headlamps. At the back, there are the vertical taillights with an outer glass cover. Overall, the Volkswagen Up! weighs 930kg, making it as lighter as the Hyundai i10 and the Honda Brio. According to certain reports, Volkswagen India is aiming the current market leader, Alto 800 and the Hyundai 10.

Volkswagen Up expected launch in India

Volkswagen Up expected launch in India by Nov 2017.

*Disclaimer: The date of launch is tentative and purely based on the information received from OEMs. Autoportal will not be responsible for any discrepancy and delay with the launch dates.